Meet the Woman On a Mission to End Niggling Aches and Pains

That was the turning point moment that made Lucy Nifontova take action, following two decades of debilitating back pain.

‘I’d already given up so much,’ she says. ‘Hobbies, sport, my health, to a degree my social life. But my independence - that was something I wasn't willing to compromise on.’

And Nifontova isn’t the only one – 80% of people in the UK will experience back pain at some point in their lives.

Nifontova’s journey with back pain began when she was in her teens. Hypermobile and from a family with back issues, she often found herself floor-bound and unable to move with pain. But the attitude of the time was to ‘get on with it’.

‘Pilates had gone to sleep back then,’ says Nifontova, referring to the core-strengthening method that is now increasingly prescribed to back pain sufferers. ‘I worried that this was what the rest of my life would look like.’

At school, that looked like hours spent sedentary, learning to touch type while her friends made memories on the school sports pitch. Uni wasn’t much different; then a high-pressured, desk-bound job in the City, and Nifontova’s back pain only got worse: ‘The culture was to work long hours and take no breaks,’ she says. ‘Which we know now is the worst thing you can do if you have a bad back. My pain was often so bad, wearing high heels or carrying a handbag was out of the question; and I couldn’t even perform everyday tasks such as loading the dishwasher because bending over put my back out.’

"Getting back pain seen to is still a big taboo – so many people just live with it."

But despite this, Nifontova battled on. ‘Then one weekend, I was helping to look after my toddler godson. By Sunday night my back had completely flared up and I couldn’t move. I felt completely out of control of my body and wondered whether I would ever be able to have my own children. I realised my pain had given my life too many limitations. I couldn’t put up with this any longer.’

So Nifontova visited her GP, who referred her to see Mr Tom Ember, renowned spinal consultant at London Bridge Hospital. An MRI and several scans later and Nifontova was diagnosed with degenerative disc disease. ‘Having the diagnosis didn’t change anything for me,’ she says. ‘Back pain is such a generic term and you will never know the extent of someone else’s suffering. But, what I did come to realise was that I needed to step up and take control of my pain, as opposed to letting it control me.’

"Back pain is an invisible condition – you will never know the extent of someone else’s suffering."

Which means? ‘My back pain had, over many years, completely demotivated me,’ says Nifontova. ‘Like many people, I wanted a quick fix – I wanted someone to take away my pain without me having to do any work.’ Such as follow physio-prescribed exercises. ‘I’d been useless at doing them before; now I realised, I had to play a part in own recovery.’

To aid her, Nifontova was given a spinal steroid injection, providing her with a pain-free window of opportunity to strengthen her core and stabilising muscles.

‘It was as if I were being thrown a life jacket,’ says Nifontova. ‘I never realised quite the extent to which my back pain had impacted my life until I suddenly no longer had pain to deal with. I seized that opportunity – I knew the pain would return when the injection wore off, if I didn’t.’

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Nifontova embarked on a strict physio-guided Pilates programme, using a piece of Pilates equipment called the Reformer. ‘I loved the support the Reformer gave to my spine,’ says Nifontova. ‘I felt safe and, for the first time in years, was able to do a full body workout without running the risk of hurting myself.’ Over the following months, she got stronger and stronger. ‘I was in the best physical condition of my life,’ Nifontova says.

But, her degenerative disc condition caught up; Nifontova had no choice but to have a spinal fusion in December 2016. ‘I was nervous – this is a fairly major surgery – but I knew I was going into the operating theatre with a strong body,’ Nifontova says.

"Life post-surgery is unrecognisable – I never have to think ‘Will my back hurt doing that?’"

And that strong body, Nifontova wanted to retain. However, when looking for places to go away to recuperate, she struggled to find anywhere that met her rehab needs.

‘I needed a retreat where I could do three hours of rehab a day, including physiotherapy and reformer Pilates, and relax. But all I could find was yoga retreats and spa breaks.’

Nifontova ended up making up her own break – with the help of physiotherapist Michelle Lewis, who kept in regular contact and advised on the best exercises to do while away. ‘I came back the equivalent of months further ahead in my recovery than I should be. I realised then that other people needed similar treatment in their lives.

"It’s very empowering to feel in control of your body."

So, in partnership with Lewis and with input from the UK's leading orthepaedic surgeons, Nifontova launched Restore & Reform, rehab retreats aimed, not only at people recovering from surgery, but also those struggling with daily pain and niggles, and people simply wanted to future-proof their body and keep it healthy.

‘Maybe you have poor posture or spend too much time at your desk and want to get strong. Or have been through a serious trauma. Our programmes are for everyone.

‘I never believed I would one day be able to life a life without limitations – it’s empowering,’ says Nifontova. ‘At R&R, we give people the tools they need to take control of their own pain and recovery – and to own their body again. Nobody should have to live in pain, after all – most of us have the power to change our narrative.’

Restore & Reform retreats start from £1,300 pp in Portugal (based on 6 day programme, 7 nights room share with two people doing the programme) and from £625 pp at Fair Oak Farm, UK (based on 3 day programme with two people doing the programme.

Emma PritchardContributing Health EditorEmma interviews the world’s leading sportswomen, top health experts, and women who have turned their lives around through fitness – women like you.

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